Think all social media platforms are the same? Think again.

Last time, we talked about the importance of monitoring your social media because employers will be too. Just as important, however, is making sure that your content is appropriate for the platform that it’s on.

While social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter serve the same purpose, to connect networks of individuals together, the way that each platform reaches this goal is different and is based on what they can offer to their users.

For example, Facebook allows users to send friend requests, messages, and post updates about their lives, with photos and videos while also allowing the user to tag people or places into their conversations.

According to Forbes.com, users are also able to classify their friends into subnetworks based upon their relationships to those friends—personal or professional—in order to ensure their content is targeted towards the right people.

And, job seekers should be writing and sharing content with people in their professional Facebook networks as well as engaging with other’s content.

Unlike Facebook, Twitter requires you to be more selective about what you share and who follows you as it doesn’t allow you to filter who sees your posts. However, like Facebook, Twitter lets its users create networks or “lists” of people based upon specific keywords e.g. “industry professionals”.

According to LifeLearn.com, while this capability doesn’t allow you to directly communicate with users that you aren’t following, Twitter will notify them when they have been put on your list. If they decide to check out your profile and like what they see, they may be persuaded to connect with you.

Likewise, users are also able to track direct mentions of their company or individual profile to find out what people are saying about them or their brand. Twitter Analytics also allows users to track them following their tweets are receiving to see what topics their followers are interested in.

Despite these differences, Facebook and Twitter do share commonalities. For example, Facebook and Twitter allow users to find content easily through the use of hashtags.

A feature that was once exclusive to Twitter, now allows Facebook users to discover what industry news is trending and which industry professionals are following the hashtag. Users can then share—retweet on Twitter—pertinent information on industry topics from those professionals.

Social media is your key to making professional connections. Learn how these networks function to make sure you’re making the most of what they have to offer.